Councillor's son jailed for using a car as a weapon

A Bradford councillor’s son has been jailed for using his car as a weapon on a day of disorder in Keighley said to be linked back to the notorious “roundabout murders” a decade ago.

Majid Hussain, 28, deliberately rammed his Audi into a parked car on the town’s Devonshire Street crushing Zulfran Suleman’s leg as he tried to get out of the vehicle.

Mr Suleman needed hospital treatment for a displaced kneecap, Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday. He spent weeks walking with a crutch and with his leg in a brace.

Hussain, of Devonshire Street, Keighley, pleaded guilty on the day of his trial to assaulting Mr Suleman and causing him actual bodily harm on August 8.

Allegations of causing Mr Suleman grievous bodily harm and possessing an imitation firearm were dropped by the prosecution.

Hussain, the son of Councillor Abid Hussain (Lab, Keighley Central) was imprisoned for 15 months by Recorder Simon Jackson QC who said he “gratuitously and recklessly” reversed his car towards Mr Suleman, crushing his knee between the vehicles.

Prosecutor Jayne Beckett said the assault happened after large-scale disorder in Keighley that day. Minutes before, the back window of the Audi was smashed when it was stoned by a violent group while heading down Belgrave Road to Devonshire Street.

Mrs Beckett said there had been many incidents in the town between the “top end” and “bottom end” factions since the “roundabout murders”, dating back to 2002.

Mr Suleman was not involved in the disorder that day but Hussain may have associated him with it.

The court saw CCTV footage of Hussain’s car reversing into a black Honda as Mr Suleman got out of the driver’s side door.

“There have been problems for years in the community between two factions and it seems to hook into other factors as well,” Mrs Beckett said.

She told the court there had been trouble between Hussain’s family and Mr Suleman’s family before the incident, “a building of bad feeling”.

Hussain was jailed for 30 months for violent disorder in 2005 when he drove at a man, knocking him over the bonnet and on to the roof of his car.

He also had convictions for affray in 2009 and wounding a man by breaking his jaw in two places in 2011.

Hussain’s barrister, Yunus Valli, said he was being sentenced for a “substantially different case” from that he had faced until that day.

The Audi was attacked by a group with weapons.

Hussain acted recklessly, he did not intend to hurt anyone and he was not part of the town’s gang warfare.

“He is not part of any group in Keighley, whatsoever,” Mr Valli said.

Hussain had spent 101 days in custody and was very remorseful, he said.

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